Public Relation Activities In Tertiary Institutions

Public Relation Activities In Tertiary Institutions

Abstract

This study is focused on the effectiveness of public relations proactive in tertiary institutions in Enugu metropolis. Public relation is very relevant in institution today since it has become the most powerful tool to express the image of an institution to the public community. The study assessed public relations as a tool for attaining educational institution objectives. The major problem of this study was the presence of social vices such as bribery, cultism and corruption, sex scandal that make communities dissatisfied with the Nigeria education sector. The major objective of the study was to examine public relations as a tool for attaining educational institution objectives. Descriptive design was used with a sample size of 77 subjects, stratified was use to group the population and sample randomly selected. A structured questionnaire was the instrument used to gather data from the field for analysis. Regression analysis was employed to test the five hypotheses formulated. Findings reveal that reputation management, customer relations, media relations, social media and corporate social responsibility on achieving educational institution objectives was positively significant respectively. The study concluded that institutions should pay more attention to those variables for attainment of their educational institution objectives. And recommended among others that the models used in this study should be properly adopted by the institutions for adequate sustainability of their existence.

Chapter One

Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

Public relation has become a potent marketing tool in modern business management in relent times, its influence is being fact on both big and small firms with the influence of even greater expansion, it is important for management organizations including tertiary institutions to understand its potentials and limitations.

Nwokoye (1984:212) defined public relations as the activities of co-operation unions, government or other organizations in building and marketing sound and productive relation, with special public such as customers, relation employees in stock holders and with public at large, so as to adopt itself to its environment and interprets itself to the society.

Busch and Houston (1995:200) noted that public relation is management function which evaluate public attitude identifies polices and procedures of an individuals or an organizations with the public interest and execute a programme of action to earn public understanding and acceptance. Chukwu (2000:3.4) stated that public relation practice a management philosophy aimed at doing every thing possible to create good relationship between an organization and its public. Public relation is aimed at making friends for the organization and building internal and external good will on the reasonable assumption that these are strongly needed for an organization to remain in business and make profit with the increase in the activities of an organization. The need for an adequate communication between the organization and those who in one way or the other are affected by these activities of the organization while wanting to remain liable need to have good relation with its employees, consumers of its products and services, future investors, stock holder and in fact that general public. As an organization specialized in manufacturing or offering services, its needs to slow its salt, existing or potential customers that is up to date. Forward cooking concerned to producer and offer the best goods and services for the price it charges and make sure that its customers are really satisfied.

Edoga and Ani (2001:287) noted that a company should deliberately plan and execute a continuous public relation programmes to develop a good relation between it and the various public and amongst other objectives that are being sought with public relations.

Stressing the position of public relation in the country Olawnoru (1999:194) noted that most officials occupying the public relation positions of various organization in the country today are not professionals they generally have a fair knowledge of what they are supposed to do.

University as an institution or organization has the students, members of its staff, parents, teachers, association, the management, the host society, the state and the federal government, Nigerian universities commission (NUC) etc as its relevant publics. This implies that the activities performed by the University in one way or the other effect those of the mentioned publics. Therefore in order to maintain its public relations with those bodies, Universities must at all time try to create a rapport and understanding or goodwill with all these bodies. This it will do through proper information circulation between itself and those various relevant publics to it. This can be done by allowing the free flow of information paying of salaries as at when due to the staffs, engaging in proper and standard academic work, adding by the rules and regulations if NUC in the performance of its activities. Manufactures and producers of goods and services are now aware that public relations does not only ensure good relation with the public but can strive towards profit making through increased customers patronage. It is in the light of the importance attended to public relations that the researcher seeks to appraise the effectiveness of public relations, practices in Enugu state.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

A good corporate image is usually regarded to be essential for the existence of an organization. The success or failure of a corporation depends on its relationship with its public, consumers, employees, stock holders, government, community, distributors, suppliers and others.

A favourable corporate image creates confidence in an organization or institution. There has been occasional treble in tertiary institutions, some leading to close for some months or years. The eternal problems in our institutions has become the open issue of the day.

In many institutions in Nigeria, there is the presence of social vices such as bribery, cultism and corruption, sex scandal that make communities dissatisfied with the Nigerian education sector. Omonijo and Nnedum (2012), observed that exposure of students to social media has been instrumental to the rising wave of social vices. Today, Nigerian institutions‟ are mere shadows of their past, in terms of academic standards. Quality has been sacrificed due to the insatiable desire by politicians, some educational bureaucrats, institutions‟ administrators and teachers, instructors, lecturers, professors to find the easiest means to accumulate wealth, (Asemah, 2009). Thus, there is a need to examine public relations as a tool for attaining educational institutions objectives in Enugu state.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

Some consumers (students) prefers the services of some tertiary institution to others. This fact need be accounted for by the level of public relations practiced by these institutions in Enugu state. Even at the research study has the following objectives

1. Determine the influence of reputation management for attaining community‟s friendly relationship.
2. Determine if there is any relationship between customer relations management and the attainment of students‟ co-operation.
3. Ascertain the influence of media relations for the attaining increase in student‟s enrolment.
4. Ascertain the influence of social media for attaining positive public image.
5. Examine the influence of corporate social responsibility for manpower development.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the influence of reputation management for attaining community’s friendly relationship?
2. Is there any relationship between customer relations management and the attainment of students’ co-operation?
3. What is the influence of media relations for the attaining increase in student’s enrolment?
4. What is the influence of social media for attaining positive public image?
5. Examine the influence of corporate social responsibility for manpower development?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The most outstanding hope of this study is that its findings will be of immense benefit to students, lecturers and staff of management of tertiary institutions, which will help in minimize conflicts in these institutions.

The study also gave an insight into the problem and practices of public relations in Nigeria institutions of higher learning.

This study by its objectives will not only assess the effectiveness of classified public relation, but as its application and uses generally, therefore, when successfully this project wale or research work is carried out and documented, it will save as a source of relevant information to many institution and organizations on the ways of using public relation and its importance.

Finally, public relation practitioners have been deprived of excellent performance in their operations because of shanty and insufficient data and in-adequate literariness availability in this area. This study when successfully completed and adequately supervised will be an addition to the essential literature needed in public relations, a vital areas of marketing communication public relations practitioners and consultants will therefore use it extensively for reference. Based on forgoing, it become, indisputable that the need for this study is worthwhile.

1.6 Scope and Limitation of the Study

The study covers public relation activities in view of limited time and other constraints was place on administrative staff and public relations staff of ESUT, UNN, GODFREY OKOYE, IMT, ESCET, Eha-Amufu, Caritas and Peaceland..

The following factors handicapped and constrainted the researchers from attaining the zenith of the research.

The nature of this study demands much cost than what the researcher a poor student could afford. This made the scope of the study to be almost two nawouled to enable the researcher have a sample that could be effectively studied, heaving in mind the cost involved.

Again the literacy level even in the higher institutions is very discouraging one, in carrying out researches of this sort. As a result, problems were recounted in completion of questionnaires as some were not properly filled.

1.7 Definition of Terms

In writing this research work, some words will be steady use in many please in process of completing this research work, and will be good to mention and explain these terms for the better understanding of this project work, and these terns are as follows:

Public:

Any group that has actually a company to achieve its objective Kotler (1988:141).

Public Relations:

Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing the spread of information between an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) and the publi c.

Opinion & Atitude:

Belief or judgment not founded the same in every body i.e the opinion and attitude of every body happens to differs from one person to another. It is what the people feels, thinks or believe about something or company.

Image:

Mental picture or idea, view, opinion of something such as services or product held by the public.

Marketing:

The management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customers requirement in a profitable way or with the intention of making profit.

1.8 Organization of Study

The study is divided into five chapters. Chapter one deals with the study’s introduction and gives a background to the study. Chapter two reviews related and relevant literature. The chapter three gives the research methodology while the chapter four gives the study’s analysis and interpretation of data. The study concludes with chapter five which deals on the summary, conclusion and recommendation.

Chapter Five

Summary of Findings, Conclusion and Recommendation

5.1 Summary of Findings

1. The study finds that reputation management is positive and significant in its influence on attaining educational institution objectives.
2. The study also observes that customer relations management is positive and significant in its influence on attaining education institution objectives.
3. The study shows us a positively significant influence of media relations on attaining education institution objectives.
4. The study finds also that social media is positive and significant in its influence on attaining educational institution objectives.
5. The study also observes that corporate social responsibility is positive and significant in its influence on attaining educational institution objectives.

5.2 Conclusion

The study investigated public relation activities in tertiary institutions in Enugu state. The findings of the study revealed that reputation management, customer relationship and the media relations have a strong association with educational institution objectives. Therefore, it is concluded that institutions in attaining their educational objectives needs to strengthen on these factors or these public relations tools for attaining their institution objectives. Again, the enthusiasm and commitment of PR practitioners of the University is likely to have been stifled by lack of feedback on their performance and the general culture/perception that PR practice in public universities is insignificant for projecting the goals of such universities.

5.3 Recommendations

The institution should train, educate and develop their staff on how to apply public relations strategies for attaining institution objectives. A strong reputation culture should be cultivated by the institutions as a necessary foundation to beat the completion, enhance their community were the institution exist for better development and continuous existence.

5.4 Contributions to Knowledge.

First, the conceptual framework developed in this study was historical with appropriate keys in other to establish the relationship between two variables which shows weak, strong and moderate relationship.

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